The seven curses of London

RESPECTING THE PARENTAGE OF SOME OF OUR GUTTER POPULATION. Who are the Mothers?—The Infant Labour-Market.—Watch p. 13 London and Blackfriars Bridges.—The Melancholy Types.—The F...

THE PROBLEM OF DELIVERANCE. Curious Problem.—The best Method of Treatment.—The “Child p. 76 of the Gutter” not to be entirely abolished.—The genuine Alley-bred Arab.—The Poor La...

THEIR NUMBER AND DIFFICULTIES. Twenty Thousand Thieves in London.—What it means.—The p. 85 Language of “Weeds.”—Cleverness of the Pilfering Fraternity.—A Protest against a barba...

HOMES AND HAUNTS OF THE BRITISH THIEF. The Three Classes of Thieving Society.—Popular p. 108 Misapprehensions.—A True Picture of the London Thief.—A Fancy Sketch of the “Under-g...

JUVENILE THIEVES. The Beginning of the Downhill Journey.—Candidates for p. 124 Newgate Honours.—Black Spots of London.—Life from the Young Robber’s Point of View.—The Seedling R...

THE THIEF NON-PROFESSIONAL. The Registered and the Unregistered Thieves of the London p. 144 Hunting-ground.—The Certainty of the Crop of Vice.—Omnibus Drivers and Conductors.—T...

CRIMINAL SUPPRESSION AND PUNISHMENT. Lord Romilly’s Suggestion concerning the Education of the p. 173 Children of Criminals.—Desperate Criminals.—The Alleys of the Borough.—The...

ADULT CRIMINALS AND THE NEW LAW FOR THEIR BETTER GOVERNMENT. Recent Legislation.—Statistics.—Lord Kimberley’s “Habitual p. 183 Criminals” Bill.—The Present System of License-Hol...

THE BEGGAR OF OLDEN TIME. “Only a Beggar.”—The Fraternity 333 Years ago.—A savage p. 211 Law.—Origin of the Poor-Laws.—Irish Distinction in the Ranks of Beggary.—King Charles’s...

THE WORK OF PUNISHMENT AND RECLAMATION. The Effect of “The Society for the Suppression of p. 221 Mendicity.”—State Business earned out by Individual Enterprise.—“The Discharged...

BEGGING “DODGES.” The Variety and Quality of the Imposture.—Superior p. 242 Accomplishments of the Modern Practitioner.—The Recipe for Success.—The Power of “Cheek.”—“Chanting”...

GENTEEL ADVERTISING BEGGARS. The Newspaper Plan and the delicate Process.—Forms of 259 Petition.—Novel Applications of Photography.—Personal Attractions of the Distressed.—Help,...

THIS CURSE. The Difficulty in handling it.—The Question of its p. 271 Recognition.—The Argyll Rooms.—Mr. Acton’s Visit there.—The Women and their Patrons.—The Floating Populatio...

THE PLAIN FACTS AND FIGURES OF PROSTITUTION. Statistics of Westminster, Brompton, and Pimlico.—Methods p. 281 of conducting the nefarious Business.—Aristocratic Dens.—The High T...

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE QUESTION. The Laws applying to Street-walkers.—The Keepers of the p. 304 Haymarket Night-houses.—Present Position of the Police-magistrates.—Music-h...

SUGGESTIONS. Ignoring the Evil.—Punishment fit for the “Deserter” and p. 324 the Seducer.—The “Know-nothing” and “Do-nothing” Principle.—The Emigration of Women of Bad Character...

ITS POWER. The crowning Curse.—No form of sin or sorrow in which it p. 332 does not play a part.—The “Slippery Stone” of Life.—Statistics.—Matters not growing worse.—The Army Re...

ATTEMPTS TO ARREST IT. The Permissive Liquors Bill.—Its Advocates and their p. 351 Arguments.—The Drunkenness of the Nation.—Temperance Facts and Anecdotes.—Why the Advocates of...

“ADVERTISING TIPSTERS” AND “BETTING COMMISSIONERS.” The Vice of Gambling on the increase among the p. 377 Working-classes.—Sporting “Specs.”—A “Modus.”—Turf Discoveries.—Welsher...

METROPOLITAN PAUPERISM. Parochial Statistics.—The Public hold the p. 421 Purse-strings.—Cannot the Agencies actually at work be made to yield greater Results?—The need of fair R...

IT is a startling fact that, in England and Wales alone, at the present time, the number of children under the age of sixteen, dependent more or less on the parochial authoritie...

INSTRUCTIVE and interesting though it may be to inquire into the haunts and habits of these wretched waifs and “rank outsiders” of humanity, of how much importance and of useful...

ALTHOUGH it is not possible, in a book of moderate dimensions, such as this, to treat the question of neglected children with that extended care and completeness it undoubtedly...

THE law takes account of but two phases of human existence,—the child irresponsible, and the adult responsible, and overlooks as beneath its dignity the important and well-marke...

THE curious problem—“What is the best method of treatment to adopt towards improving the condition of neglected children, and to diminish their number for the future?” has been...

_Twenty Thousand Thieves in London_.—_What it Means_.—_The Language of_ “_Weeds_.”—_Cleverness of the Pilfering Fraternity_.—_A Protest Against a Barbarous Suggestion_.—_The Pri...

ALTHOUGH, as most people are aware, the great thief tribe reckons amongst its number an upper, and a middle, and a lower class, pretty much as corresponding grades of station ar...

_The Beginning of the Downhill Journey_.—_Candidates for Newgate Honours_.—_Black Spots of London_.—_Life from the Young Robber’s Point of View_.—_The Seedling Recruits the most...

_The Registered and the Unregistered Thieves of the London Hunting-ground_.—_The Certainty of the Crop of Vice_.—_Omnibus Drivers and Conductors_.—_The_ “_Watchers_.”—_The Londo...

_Lord Romilly’s Suggestion concerning the Education of the Children of Criminals_.—_Desperate Criminals_.—_The Alleys of the Borough_.—_The worst Quarters not_, _as a rule_, _th...

_Recent Legislation_.—_Statistics_.—_Lord Kimberley’s_ “_Habitual Criminals_” _Bill_.—_The Present System of Licence-Holders_.—_Colonel Henderson’s Report_.—_Social Enemies of S...

WERE it not that the reader’s sound and simple sense renders it quite unnecessary, it might be of importance to premise that to be “only a beggar” does not constitute a human be...

THE Society for the Suppression of Mendicity has done more towards checking imposture, and bringing evildoers to punishment, than the Government itself, notwithstanding all the...

THE “dodges” to which an individual resolved on a vagrant life will resort are almost past reckoning; and, as a natural consequence, the quality of the imposture in modern pract...

BESIDES those I have enumerated, there are at least two other specimens of the beggar tribe that deserve mention. They are genteel impostors both. One avails himself of the adve...

THE only explanation that can be offered to the supersensitive reader, who will doubtless experience a shock of alarm at discovering this page’s heading, is, that it would be si...

LET US in the first place consider the extent to which the terrible malady in question afflicts us. I am not aware if more recent returns have been made than those I have at han...

SIX or seven years since, such alterations were made in the laws applying to nocturnal street-walkers and disorderly persons generally, as enabled the London magistrates, with t...

IT is easy enough to understand, if one finds the courage to face this worst of all social evils, and inquire calmly into the many shapes its origin takes, how very possible it...

WHATEVER differences of opinion may arise as to the extent and evil operation of the other curses that, in common with all other cities, afflict the city of London, no sane man...

THERE has recently appeared on the temperance stage a set of well-meaning gentlemen, who, could they have their way, though they would sweep every public-house and beershop from...

THERE can be no doubt that the vice of gambling is on the increase amongst the English working-classes. Of this no better proof is afforded than in the modern multiplication of...

_Parochial Statistics_—_The Public hold the Purse-strings_—_Cannot the Agencies actually at work be made to yield greater results_?—_The Need of fair Rating_—_The heart and core...

ALL other remedies considered, we come back to that which is cheapest, most lasting, and in every way the best—emigration. This, of course, as applying to unwilling and undeserv...

1. STATESMEN. 7. MEN OF ART. 2. MEN OF PEACE. 8. MEN OF BUSINESS. 3. MEN OF WAR. 9. MEDICAL MEN. 4. MEN OF LAW. 10. PIONEERS & TRAVELLERS. 5. MEN OF LETTERS. 11. ENGINEERS. 6. M...